1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to monitoring apparatuses which receive video data and data relating to the video data (metadata) from monitoring cameras, perform filtering on the metadata, and output results of monitoring on the basis of results of the filtering. The present invention also relates to filter calibration methods and filter calibration programs for the monitoring apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
Monitoring systems having monitoring cameras and control devices which are connected to each other via networks have been used. In such monitoring systems, monitoring cameras send data of captured video images to monitoring apparatuses operating as control devices via networks. The monitoring apparatuses record the received video data and analyze the video data to detect abnormalities and output alarms. Operators of the monitoring systems can perform monitoring while checking the monitored images being displayed on a screen and the content of the alarms output from the control devices.
Recent monitoring cameras are capable of not only sending data of captured video images to monitoring apparatuses but also generating metadata relating to the video data (for example, alarm information, temperature information, angle-of-view information of cameras) and sending the metadata to the monitoring apparatuses. In monitoring systems including such monitoring cameras, the monitoring apparatus pass metadata provided by monitoring cameras through metadata filters (hereinafter referred to as filters) in which predetermined conditions for alarm output are set, so that alarms are output when the conditions are satisfied. Examples of the conditions for abnormality detection include intrusion of a suspicious object into a predetermined area and passage of a moving object across a predetermined line.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-274390 discloses a technique in which video data of a monitored video image is supplied from a monitoring terminal (a monitoring camera) to a monitoring apparatus via a network, and checking of a monitor image obtained at the time of occurrence of an abnormality is performed by the monitoring apparatus.